Young quarterbacks seem to be the theme season and certainly of week 7 in the NFL. From Cam Newton to Christian Ponder to the more popular topics right now, Tim Tebow and Blaine Gabbert, all of these rookie and rookie-ish quarterbacks have fans buzzing about the future of their franchises.

Just three days ago, the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars were dead on arrival and now, ah, the possibilities…for good dramatic television this NFL week.

Tim Tebow played horrible for 55 minutes, but turned in a fantastic clutch win for the Broncos to keep the Miami Dolphins winless with their 18-15 win in Miami. Tebow completed 13 of 27 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed for 65 yards on 8 carries — to finish behind Willis McGahee’s 76 yards on 18 carries.

Gabbert didn’t overwhelm either, but his win came against a much more formidable opponent, the potential Super Bowl candidate Baltimore Ravens. Gabbert completed 9 of 20 passes for 93 yards – keep in mind he’s a rookie that got unexpectedly thrown into the mix with David Garrard’s departure and he was fending off a much better defense.

with students from the Orlando Sentinel Summer Sports Institution (Margo Lorbecke/Orlando Sentinel)

The NFL lockout has been lifted, but there was little rejoicing for the NFL players working out with Tom Shaw at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Tuesday morning.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson sided with NFL players and ordered an end to the lockout Monday afternoon. But is that any relief?

“Kind of, sort of,” said Jacksonville Jaguars running back Greg Jones. “Right now we have more of the upper hand on them so now they’re going to appeal it. Depending on the results of the appeal, then we might have the upper hand in negotiations. I think we need to get back to football, get back to working out and practicing as a team right now.”

It might be a short while before some of these guys return to practice with their respective teams. Despite a public urging from Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark, Steelers linebacker James Farrior said he planned on staying in Orlando to train until “they tell me I gotta go back.” Farrior has trained with Tom Shaw for over a decade.

Like Jones, Farrior also believes the Judge Nelson’s decision is just the first step in a long negotiation process between players and owners.

“It was good that the judge ruled in the players favor, but I don’t think it’s over yet. I think the owners still have something up their sleeves so we’ll just see what the next step is,” Farrior said.

Farrior, though, has more trust in the Steelers’ ownership, the Rooney family.

“I think with the Rooney family and the Rooney organization, I don’t think there’s gonna be any problems,” Farrior said in response to concerns about tense working conditions. “They’ve always been supportive of us and we love those guys. They’re one of the best owners in the league so I really have no worries about going back and being able to work with those guys.”

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio will keep his job as head coach, but Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver has asked Del Rio to reliquish defensive playcalling duties. Will this be enough to make the Jaguars an NFL playoff team once again? (David J. Phillip, The Associated Press)

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio’s teams have always had a stranglehold on both mediocrity and boredom.

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio looks up at the scoreboard during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, in Houston. The Texans beat the Jaguars 34-17. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Mock draft reports have been all over the place in predicting who the Jacksonville Jaguars will select in the 2011 NFL draft. One thing everyone agrees on, though, is that the Jaguars need a solid defensive player with the offense in the stable hands of Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

Now that the official 2011 draft order for non playoff teams has been released, it’s time to revisit some of the Jaguars’ potentials in the No. 16 slot.

Last year, they selected Tyson Alualu, a defensive end/tackle hybrid athlete who we felt was a 2nd or 3rd round value. And while most agreed with our evaluation, I’ll admit, we were wrong on Alualu. He’s been very solid for this team and looks like a long-term starter. However, in this hybrid 3-4/4-3 defense, they need help opposite him, which is where Clayborn comes in. He can play defensive end in either set, and can complement Alualu for years to come.

Last season, Ryan Kerrigan led the nation with 26 tackles for a loss, becoming virtually impossible for opponents to block, even when facing double-team scenarios. Todd McShay has Kerrigan going 18th to the New England Patriots, saying “Kerrigan is probably higher on our board than on most others, but very few players with his touchiness, pass-rushing savvy, a nonstop motor and passion for the game fail to contribute in the NFL.”

Wisconsin’s J.J. Watt actually began his college career as a tight end at Central Michigan but since joining the Badgers he has developed into a 6-6, 292 pound impact defensive lineman. Watt isn’t an elite natural pass rusher but he is relentless with a non-stop motor and versatile enough to play either end or tackle in multiple defensive schemes.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (R) is congratulated by Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson after the Chiefs' win in their NFL football game in Kansas City, Missouri December 26, 2010. REUTERS/Dave Kaup

Last season, Chris Johnson was a viable NFL MVP candidate. This season, he is a candidon’t.

Fans snubbed Orlando native and Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson from the 2011 Pro Bowl voting. So far this season, Johnson collected 1,325 yards on 296 carries and 11 touchdowns. Johnson, who is in his third NFL season, became just the sixth man in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards last season joining Eric Dickerson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis and O.J. Simpson.

Chris Johnson was also voted the Associated Press Offensive player of the year over Super Bowl champion quarterback Drew Brees last season.

Other Pro Bowl roster picks with Central Florida ties: Pittsburgh Steelers and former Florida Gators center Maurkice Pouncey and former UCF and current Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Asante Samuel.

Statistically speaking, Chris Johnson had a slightly better rushing year than Maurice Jones-Drew. He is currently the third leading rusher in the NFL behind Foster and Charles and has six more touchdowns this season than Jones-Drew. However, Jones-Drew was more of a double threat netting 317 receiving yards to Johnson’s 194.

Chris Johnson made a pretty bold statement earlier this year saying he wanted to break Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record. He still had a good, not historic season in 2010, but did his words perhaps hurt him in the Pro Bowl voting?

300-plus pound Dan Connolly of the New England Patriots ran back a 71-yard kickoff return and every offensive lineman in the NFL silently rejoiced. According to the Associated Press, Connolly’s kickoff return is the longest ever by an offensive lineman.

Before Sunday, Connolly’s biggest career highlight may have been helping the Patriots become the first team in 2010 to record over 100 rushing yards (103) against the Steelers defense. He was originally signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a rookie free agent prior to 2005 and eventually released in 2007. Connolly was signed to the Patriots’ practice squad and played his first full season in 2009 and has had some limited experiences at the full back position in some goal line situations.

Amazingly, Connolly ran the entire field without being tackled once carrying the ball like newborn baby, stiff arms and eventually gets tackled at the 4-yard line. Wow.

“They won’t be kicking to him anymore, I’ll tell you that,” Tom Brady jokingly quipped after the game.

So what’s more unbelievable, Dan Connolly’s run or the Patriots almost losing to a Aaron Rodgersless Green Bay Packers team?

Of course, we’re talking about retired Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula. His son, Mike Shula, is the current quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mike Shula has rebounded in the coaching ring after being fired from stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and reigning college football championship program, Alabama.

“It’s a great challenge, plus I don’t know what else I would know what to do. I grew up loving the challenge of the Xs and Os, competing in a team sport and being around guys that have the same goals you have,” Mike Shula told the Florida Times Union.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, spearheaded by MVP-worthy candidate Maurice Jones-Drew, are the AFC South leaders and are currently 8-5. The team will travel to the Indianapolis Colts Sunday.

Former NFL running back Eric Dickerson smiles during a news conference to announce his election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Miami, Saturday, Jan. 30, 1999. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

The verdict has been out for a while on Chris Johnson’s lofty goal of beating Eric Dickerson’s 1984 single season rushing record [2,105 yards] . It’s a definite no-go especially after the Tennessee Titans dismal 17-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday in which he collected 53 yards on 13 carries.

So we caught up with Eric Dickerson,50, Monday during a conference call promoting ESPN’s latest 30 for 30 documentary, Pony Exce$$, premiering this weekend to ask him about his thoughts on what goes into a 2000-plus rushing yard season.

Earlier this NFL season Chris Johnson talked about wanting to break your record. I was wondering what you thought when you heard about that and also what kind of things have to go right to rush for more than 2,000 yards in an NFL season?

Dickerson: I heard about him talking about wanting to break my record. The one thing about having a season like that is it’s not something you talk about, especially publicly. Those NFL defenses take that personal, they really do. And coaches take it personal when you say you’re going to rush for 2,000 yards.

Everything has to go right, you have to stay healthy, you can’t fall behind, you have to keep games close. You get down like they did yesterday with 17-zip, all the sudden you have to throw the football. It’s just so much has to go your way.Matter-of-fact going through all my medical records a couple of months ago through the NFL, I found out that year in 1984 I only full practiced seven times that year. Really I wasn’t healthy a lot, but I was able to play in games. And that’s how it is, that’s the life of an NFL running back. It’s a lot that goes into trying to stay healthy to try and rush for 2,000 yards. One thing is that the team has to get into it

Do you think Chris Johnson possibly could break that one day?

Dickerson: It’s possible, it’s always possible. He’ll have to go out and to it first. I don’t want him to break it, I’ll say that (laughs). I think one day that record will be broken. I’ve lived a long life, I hope I’m dead and gone when that happens, but somebody will break it someday.

I think Chris Johnson has the physical ability to reach his goal. He is just in his third NFL season after all. But a series of lucky breaks must fall Johnson’s way for him to reach 2,000-plus yards again. Judging by the way things look in Tennessee right now, it may be a while.

NBC football analyst and former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy works on the sideline during halftime of the Army/Notre Dame NCAA college football game at Yankee Stadium in New York. By Associated Press

The upsets and surprises just kept coming Sunday night in the NFL. But one of the surprises came off the field from the NBC studio.

Discussing the NFL results before the Pittsburgh Steelers-Baltimore Ravens game, NBC football analyst Tony Dungy told his comrades that despite the Jacksonville Jaguars’ convincing 17-6 over the Tennessee Titans he doesn’t buy into the Jags quite yet.

“I still don’t think they’re a great team,” Dungy said.

That being said, Dungy still picked the Jags as his “winner” of the night. I can somewhat understand where Dungy is coming from considering how inconsistent Jacksonville has been over the past few years. And while the Jaguars may not be a “great” team yet, they are certainly a good one.

I’m picking the Jaguars win over the Titans as the surprise of the night. Not so much because Jacksonville won, but because of the manner in which the Titans lost. Absolutely no effort and no run game (the team’s bread and butter) in such a heated division rivalry.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially taken over first place in the AFC South ahead of the Indianapolis Colts. Ever think that would happen two years ago?

Mike Sims-Walker (left) from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Kenny Turner (center) and Chris Johnson (right) from the Tennesee Titans at Olympia High School on January 13, 2010. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel)

The unique friendship bond between Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Mike Sims-Walker and New Mexico State running back Kenny Turnerwill be featured on tonight’s episode of ESPN’s E:60.

Johnson and Turner were both high school football teammates at Olympia high school. Sims-Walker, who played for Edgewater high school was also friends with the pair. One fateful evening, the friends’ lives were forever changed after a local shooting resulted in Kenny Turner serving five years in state prison. The Orlando Sentinel first chronicled the story in January as Turner was looking for a Division 1 scholarship opportunity.